Kara Eaker

In February Eaker was named to the team to compete at the 2019 International Gymnix in Montreal alongside Alyona Shchennikova, Sloane Blakely, and Aleah Finnegan. While there she won gold in the team final, individual all-around, and on balance beam and placed fifth in the uneven bar final.

In June, after the conclusion of the American Classic, Eaker was named as one of the eight athletes being considered for the team to compete at the 2019 Pan American Games along with Sloane Blakely, Aleah Finnegan, Morgan Hurd, Shilese Jones, Sunisa Lee, Riley McCusker, and Leanne Wong.

At the 2019 GK US Classic, Eaker placed fourth in the all-around behind Simone Biles, McCusker, and Grace McCallum. She also placed first on balance beam and fourth on floor exercise behind Biles, McCallum, and Jade Carey. After the competition she was named to the team to compete at the Pan American Games alongside Finnegan, Hurd, McCusker, and Wong.

At the 2019 U.S. National Championships, Eaker competed all four events on the first day of competition but fell off the balance beam and ended the night in eleventh place. On the second night she performed cleanly and ended up finishing in the tenth place but won silver on the balance beam behind Simone Biles. As a result, she was added to the national team.

In September Eaker competed at the US World Championships trials where she placed third in the all-around behind Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee. She also placed third on bars behind Lee and Leanne Wong, first on beam, and third on floor behind Biles and Lee. The following day she was named to the team to compete at the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart alongside Biles, Lee, MyKayla Skinner, Jade Carey, and Grace McCallum.

Eaker turned senior in 2018. She competed at the American Classic where she placed first on balance beam, second on floor exercise, and fourth in the all-around. Later in the summer she competed at the 2018 U.S. Classic where she placed fifth on balance beam after falling off. At the National Championships Eaker finished seventh in the all-around, second on balance beam behind Simone Biles, fifth on floor exercise, and ninth on uneven bars. As a result of her performance she was added to the senior national team. The following day, Eaker was named to the team to compete at the Pan American Championships in Lima, Peru alongside Grace McCallum, Trinity Thomas, Jade Carey, and Shilese Jones. On the first day of competition, Eaker won the gold medal on balance beam and the bronze on floor exercise. In the team competition, Eaker contributed on these two events toward the United States' gold-medal winning performance.

In October Eaker participated in the Worlds Team Selection Camp. During the competition she placed first on the balance beam, sixth in the all-around, eighth on vault, ninth on uneven bars, and fifth on floor exercise. The following day she was named to the team to compete at the 2018 World Championships alongside Simone Biles, Morgan Hurd, Grace McCallum, Riley McCusker, and alternate Ragan Smith. During qualifications Eaker qualified second to the balance beam final, behind Biles. The US also qualified in first to the team final. During the team final, Eaker competed on only balance beam. She contributed 14.333, the highest beam score of the night from any competitor, towards the USA's team total. The American team won gold with a score of 171.629, 8.766 points ahead of second place Russia. Although she was favored for a medal in the balance beam final, she placed sixth after falling on her mount.

Eaker competed at the 2017 U.S. Classic where she placed third on balance beam and fifth in the all-around. She later competed at the 2017 U.S. National Gymnastics Championships where she placed first on balance beam ahead of Maile O'Keefe and Adeline Kenlin, third in the all-around, fourth on floor exercise, and fifth on uneven bars. She was then named to the Junior National Team.

In the team final, Eaker competed a hit routine on balance beam and did not attempt the switch ring leap, helping the USA win the gold medal ahead of Russia and Italy with the top team score on balance beam. She tied with Chen Yile of China for the third highest beam score in the final behind teammate Biles and first-year Chinese competitor Li Shijia. During the all-around final, Canadian Ellie Black, who qualified in seventh place to the balance beam final, was injured on vault. She later pulled out of the balance beam final, allowing Eaker to replace her as first reverse. During the balance beam final, Eaker once again performed a clean routine without her switch ring leap and scored 14.000, finishing fourth behind 2014 and 2015 World balance beam champion Biles, reigning World balance beam Champion Liu Tingting, and Shijia.

Eaker was born in Jiangxi, China as Kara Ming. She was adopted by her family in 2003 and has since resided with them in Missouri.

Kara Eaker (/eɪ k ər / ) (born November 7, 2002) is an American artistic gymnast and a member of the United States' women's national gymnastics team since 2017. She is primarily known for her elegant, difficult, and innovative routines and combinations on the balance beam, as well as her artistry and strong execution of tumbling and dance skills on floor exercise. On balance beam, she is the 2018 Pan American and 2019 Pan American Games champion and a two-time United States national silver medalist (2018, 2019). On floor exercise, she is the 2019 Pan American Games silver medalist and the 2018 Pan American bronze medalist. She was a member of the American teams that won gold at the 2018 and 2019 World Championships, the 2019 Pan American Games, and the 2018 Pan American Championships.